At last…freedom!
God is not mad. He is a God of mercy and kindness. He knows every thought and every circumstance, and He does everything He can do to help us discover His very best for us. Right now, for all who will trust Him, He is providing a way where there was no way from tormenting thoughts and situations that may have taken many of us captive. Here is a sample of His goodness….
Woman caught in adultery:
And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, they say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have something to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. John 8:3-11 KJV (Youversion)
Wow! I think I could just end this message here….
God corrects us for good:
My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of His correction: For whom the Lord loves He corrects; even as a father the son in whom he delights. Happy is the man who finds wisdom and the man that gets understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the acquiring of fine gold. She is more precious than rubies and all the things you can possibly desire are not to be compared to her. Long life is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasure, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her:: and happy is everyone that retains (diligently keeps—refuses to let go of) her Prov 3:11-18 (my paraphrase).
In all your getting, get understanding Prov 4:7.
The goodness of God leads us to repentance Rom 2:4. You know my sitting down and my rising up. You know my thoughts from afar off. Psa 139:2, If I ascend up into heaven, you are there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, you are there also Psa 139:8
1. Right at the starting gate: Watch out for vengeance:
Maybe you might think “This is payback time!”, but vengeance is God’s. His is longsuffering toward every man. Let go and let God! His ways are higher and far more effective than anything we could devise against one who has offended us. (I have added a Part V to this series in response to the First Nations heinous crimes and cruelties committed against them. Isa 54:17, Gal 6:7-8, and Luke 18:7, Matt 18:6 quickly come to mind. So much to address here….)
Isa 54:17, Gal 6:7-8 and Luke 18:17 all apply to every other situation where one has taken the blows of hurtling rocks of gossip, slander, false accusation, intimidation, abuse etc… God is our avenger. “Vengeance is Mine,” says the Lord. Romans 12:19
And then there is the “general complaining” of this and that—I was cut off in traffic, clerk wasn’t nice, fries were cold—a habit of having something to complain about—keeping us stuck on a merry-go-round of discontent and self-pity. These were addressed in Part II OUCH! This was not necessarily an exhaustive list rather than a sampling of situations that will help to understand a complaining stronghold. Google: strong·hold “…a place where a particular cause or belief is strongly defended or upheld.”
Something I have noticed in my own life is if I don’t resist complaining about something that happened during my day, very quickly something else will occur, providing opportunity to complain again. I have come to recognize this and zip my lips.
2. The subject of counselors: Get help!
By now you might recognize that you are stuck on the merry-go-round of complaining or accusing and you will say either “No problem, I can handle this.” or “I need help.”
Prov 11:14 Where no counsel is, the people fall: But in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. KJV
Of course our ultimate Counselor is the Holy Spirit. He already knows what has happened. When we ask for His counsel, He soon guides us on our path of recovery and healing. And that just might be that He leads us to talk to a counselor.
I have already mentioned that my husband and I are trained lay-counselors. We have sat at both sides of the table…counselees and on to counselors…wounded healers, was the term used. This was not just going from a bad situation, learning a better situation, but it involved a number of years of consistently attending formal courses, classes and conferences provided by a professional counseling center (twelve attending registered psychologists, trained counselors, a psychiatrist and a family physician). So, bottom line, I support counseling 100%, preferably, professional or formally trained lay-counselors. One might begin with a close, trusted friend or family member just to express the concern of the dilemma and evolving habit of complaints. God bless my mother! I only complained to her once about my marriage. Her response was, “You made your bed, now you have to lie in it.?” That took care of that. I continue in the same marriage today 50 years after many such complaints. I learned that was what counselors were for. LOL!
One little bit of counsel from me when meeting with counselors—thus the “multitude of counselors”: From my personal experience, there must be a sense of connection with your counselor, the same as you would have with your physician. If you don’t click the first meeting, don’t go back, find someone else to confide your dilemma to and pursue rising from the pit of discouragement and the constant rehearsing of your situation without resolving it. The second bit of counsel is that all counselors contain their own assortment of information, insight and specialty when helping counselees sort out their stuff. I have found that I have obtained certain helpful bits of information from one counselor and other helpful bits from another counselor. Also, there should be an invitation to return (a minimum of four sessions). Counselors will leave that up to you. Also, you will likely be asked at the beginning what you would like your counselor to do for you. For me, it was always “I need help to stay in my marriage.” Another thing—counselors likely won’t be talking to you about the devil, unless you are meeting for deliverance, so I will talk about that very thing further down.
Do receive prayer ministry every opportunity there is in church; ask faithful, close friends or a specific prayer partner you can trust to walk through your crisis with you and pray with and for you. THREE FOLD CORD! Eccl 4:12
***Online therapy/counseling “Better Help” sponsor for, and recommended by, SB Mowing
. Give the devil the boot: spiritual warfare
We do not wrestle against flesh and blood… Eph 6:12-17
David said…The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine…. 1 Sam 17:37 KJV
We have one enemy—that is the devil. Remember how he allured Eve, causing her to doubt God’s Word to them, believing a lie rather than the truth. Don’t let the devil steal away God’s promises for you by deceiving you that it is ok to complain. He comes to rob, kill and destroy our faith and trust in God. God is telling you here “It is not ok.” Just a thought: I bet Satan was a big complainer in heaven. His rebellion in Heaven indicates that he was the master of complaint. He is the father of lies John 8:44.
Learn about spiritual warfare! Lots of books available and many knowledgeable ministries to follow. There is an arising awareness in this season of fighting off the darkness that has come to rob, kill and destroy. Satan goes about like a roaring lion
1 Peter 5:8. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
He is quite capable in his work to gain support for his cause by deceiving many into see things from his perspective and as far away from God’s as he can trick us to go. Sin opens the door. Sin is simply that which is contrary to God’ instruction for our lives…a life more abundant.
Don’t’ rejoice that the demons are subject to you….Luke 10:17-20
17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
You are empowered: Take your authority and use it!
4. What we think and what we speak:
Prov 18:21 AMP
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it and indulge it will eat its fruit and bear the consequences of their words.
Also take a look at, James 3:8-10.
Here is a great article from the Mayo Clinic (Google)
Mayo Clinic:
Healthy Lifestyle, Stress Management
Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, increases sugars (glucose) in the bloodstream, enhances your brain’s use of glucose and increases the availability of substances that repair tissues.
Cortisol also curbs functions that would be nonessential or harmful in a fight-or-flight situation,,,,
But when stressors are always present and you constantly feel under attack, that fight-or-flight reaction stays turned on.
The long-term activation of the stress response system and the overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones that follows can disrupt almost all your body’s processes. This puts you at increased risk of many health problems, including:
· Anxiety
· Depression
· Digestive problems
· Headaches
· Muscle tension and pain
· Heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure and stroke
· Sleep problems
· Weight gain
· Memory and concentration impairment
That’s why it’s so important to learn healthy ways to cope with your life stressors.
Continuing on the path of healing, deliverance and recovery…let’s think and speak life and that more abundant—this applies to me also. The thief comes but for to steal, kill and to destroy, I have come so that they might have life and have it more abundantly (my paraphrase) John 10:10!
Just a glimpse of a recent colossal disaster my husband and I navigated:
I was forced to relocate several provinces away from where we had resided for 11 years. The situation was beyond belief or comprehension. When I arrived at my new destination, I noticed that if some friendly soul welcomed me and asked me how I had chosen their city I began spewing out my dilemma. For some reason I couldn’t carry on a normal conversation. The recent turn of events had been so consuming that I seemed to be stuck mentally within the whole mess. After several of these embarrassing encounters I knew I needed help. I decided to go for prayer counseling after one Sunday service. I simply told my prayer person that I had gone through a traumatic situation recently and I couldn’t carry on a simple conversation—all that was in my thoughts and conversation was what had happened. We prayed, I left—and instantly it was gone. My next encounter with a kind enquiry was easily answered with a simply, “I have friends here, and I like the city very much.” IT WAS DONE! Praise God! A stronghold was instantly broken and I was free to move forward in my new relationships.
TRAINING OUR THOUGHTS AND MOUTHS to think and speak life! His Word is life Heb 4:12!
Take control of your thoughts: 2 Cor 10:4-5—casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. (Christ is not Jesus last name; it’s literal meaning is burden removing, yoke destroying power of God.)
We can move mountains with our words Mark 11:22-24.
Speak life into your situation: I have the mind of Christ 1 Cor 2:16; No weapon that is formed against me shall prosper, and every tongue that rises against me in judgment, I shall condemn (prove to be wrong) Isa
54:17. If God is for me, who can be against me ? If God is on my side, what can man do to me Rom 8:31. I shall not die but live to declare the works of God Psa 118:17. I am strong Joel 3:10! My God shall supply all my need through His riches in glory Phil 4:19. My father owns the cattle on a thousand hills Psa 50:10-12. The silver and the gold are His Haggai 2:8. I am a child of the most high God 2 Cor 6:18! I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me Phil 4:13! I will sing praises to my God while I have my being Psa 146:2. I was glad when they said unto me Let us go up to the house of the Lord Psa 122:1. Amen!
Our mind is a human computer…input = output. Your input is what you act out. Control your thoughts and you will surely control your tongue. If your thoughts are controlled by what has happened to you, what you watch, follow and listen to and it is not producing good data. Change your input….reprogram….
Emotions:
Are you able to control your emotions? Do your emotions control how you think and behave? Is what you feel your primary motivator? God gave us emotions. He has a few Himself. But we are not to cultivate a life based on our emotions. Make a list and see how strongly you are influenced about how you feel about assorted stuff. A little logic goes a long way in controlling our emotions. Think things through logically and you will likely come to a completely different conclusion in what you are dealing with. Count the cost Luke 14:28-30; Eccl 5:4-7. Don’t make wedding vows without counting the cost; seek peace and pursue it every day Psa 34:14-15. Don’t sign any agreement without counting the cost. One of my responsibilities, when I was Controller of a small engineering firm many years ago, was to enforce contracts…don’t sign contracts you are not prepared to fulfill. At the same time, make certain that a contract is two sided. One sided contracts can end badly when you realize you signed your life away…or someone else is in control when you most need control yourself. This is why, in a marriage, two become one…. The key here is “become”. It takes a lifetime to “become”, so be prepared.
5. Here is a great THREE FOLD CHORD Ecl 4:11-12! Forgiveness, Understanding and Love….
Forgiveness brings instant healing. Do it God’s way and you will not even remember the details of the crushing offense or disaster you encountered, and you are no longer tempted to disclose any tormenting thoughts to others through gossip etc. It will all be gone. Here is a reminder: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new 2 Cor 5:17 KJV. Don’t allow anyone to drag you back into your past once you become born again (or you have moved on)…all the old things have passed away…all thing have become new for you!
In all your getting get understanding Prov 4:7
All I ever asked God for in my early years as a Christian was for understanding. It was 35 years later, when we purchased a small homestead acreage on the prairie in 2011. that I realized quickly I needed a wisdom that I had never known before. Getting wisdom from God is easy…it’s applying that wisdom that sometimes goes awry. I learned to ask, “Give me wisdom, Father, and the ability to walk in it.”
Simple: if you apply love every day, your pursuit of peace, understanding and forgiveness will fall into place. This scripture is a mighty truth which applies to oneself (love yourself), as well as applying it to our interaction with others. There will be no room for gossip or complaining when we put on love…
1Cor 3: Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity (love), I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity (love), I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and
though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity (love), it profiteth me nothing. Charity (love) suffereth long, and is kind; charity (love) envieth not; charity (love) vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity (love) never faileth…And now abideth faith, hope, charity (love), these three; but the greatest of these is charity (love).
Even our enemies will be at peace with us when we are pleasing to God Prov 16:7. By this—by your love for one another—will all men know you are My disciples….John 13:35.
Loving your enemies:
How on earth do we do this? God, we need Your help!
Matt 5:44-45 KJV
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust
There was an amazing epiphany imparted to me recently, regarding loving my enemies…we all have them. I was somehow given the insight that Jesus died for all men. No one is master of their own soul. God is master of our souls…every single one who was, or is, or will be born on this earth. Jesus died for every single soul ever to exist on this earth. It doesn’t matter what our title is, how small or how large our importance is, we are all the same in the sight of God Almighty. He sent His Son to die for every sin ever sinned. When we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Corrie Ten boom achieved the same revelation as God gently brought her to forgive her enemies. Once you are able to see a man or woman through God’s eyes, you will easily forgive them. They will no longer torment you with fear of what they can do to you. You will understand what they are made of and Who made them and you will forgive. They are no longer a personal matter to you. You are able to view them from a distance. You now have understanding.
Even our enemies will be at peace with us when we are pleasing to God Prov 16:7.
Don’t fear those who aim to kill just the body, but are unable to touch the soul. The One to fear is He who can destroy soul and body, in the fires of hell. Matt 10:8
Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live… Ezek 33:11
Prov 24:17-20 KJV
Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice, or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from them. Do not fret because of evildoers or be envious of the wicked, for the evildoer has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
Take pleasure in that you are God’s precious child, His favored, His most loved and cherished. Your name is written in the Lamb’s book-of-life. This is not the end. It is a new beginning. Keep moving forward! Don’t look back! Amen. When we focus on what is ahead, our mind cannot muddle around in muck and mire of what we left behind. Praise God!
6. Be thankful in all things….
This one was not so hard for me to grasp. Again my mother was adamant about thankfulness and I guess I was a good student. Even today when I retire for the night I have a list that I thank God for for that day.
Develop a thankful and forgiving heart, your will be blessed abundantly.
Therefor, in whatsoever place you find yourself be thankful Phil 4:12-13. Be thankful in all things, and with prayer and supplication let your request be made known unto God Phil 4:6-8. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and praise Psa 100:4. After 47 I have not lost the excitement of entering the House of the Lord to give Him thanks and praise.
MOVING ON!
If you have persisted and read all four parts kudos to you. I am impressed. This normally would have sparked another book, but my instruction from Holy Spirit was to blog it. I have cut and cut information in order to make the reading less of a load. There are five pages of information remaining on my file not included.
My prayers over this God assignment is that His Word would not return to Him void but would accomplish that which pleases Him Isa 55:11. And nothing would interfere or hinder His Word reaching out to heal, deliver and restore any soul that is struggling. I hope what I have done here pleases Him and provides many answers to many questions where man or woman or child has suffered the blows of what has hit them. Don’t’ throw rocks. Lay them down. We all have a life to live on this earth and we all need each other’s support and love. Simply love at every opportunity. Amen.
In closing: Jer 12:5 KJV
If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling (war) of Jordan?
Inspiration:
MOVIES
Defiance (Holocaust)
42 (Black achievement)
Heaven is for Real (4 year old, Weslian Church son visits Heaven)
Freedom Writers (Clashing teen culture)
Pride (Black achievements)
(Corrie Ten boom) The Hiding Place; Faith Undefeated (Holocaust)
Hidalgo (First Nation achievements)
Jerry Elliott (High Eagle) NASA (First Nation achievements)
Amazing Grace (Ending the slave trade)
Hidden Figures (NASA) Black achievements
Unbroken (War prison camp survival)
Impossible (disaster survival)
Sitting Bull and Little Big Horn, Little Big Man, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (Sitting Bull seeking safety in Canada for his people)
Pursuit of Happiness (Rags to Riches)
MINISTRIES:
Joyce Meyer
Joel Osteen
David Jeremiah
RADIO:
K-LOVE